There will always be fundamental truths about life. Some religions, even those that have waged war against each other for centuries, will agree to the general premises espoused in the Ten Commandments.
There also are all-purpose truths in the business of selling: honesty, understanding and fulfilling customers' needs, responsiveness, effective communication, etc. However, some truths are disappearing, which may be the single most important factor in assessing the new and evolving environment in buyer/seller relationships.
Popular purveyors of all-purpose selling truths still exist. They preach what audiences want to hear: Don't take "no" for an answer. Make 100 prospect calls a week and you'll probably sell to one or two customers. Practice your presentation.
The unfortunate error here is that one size doesn't fit all. Authors and speakers willing to share their secrets of success are modern versions of the proverbial snake oil salesman. A nationally known sales training "expert" has written that one secret of success is observing the chin-rubbing and pupil-dilating by a prospective buyer. He says these are sure-fire buying signals.
If this approach ever had merit, its days are rapidly disappearing. Today, the professional sales representative resembles a physician. The latter seeks to understand the history, lifestyle, needs, experiences and challenges of a patient before arriving at a diagnosis and recommending a solution. The successful salesperson understands that, with the exception of a buyer of art prints, no one buys printing or likes to buy printing. Similarly, no one looks forward to surgery, physical therapy or swallowing pills.
Like it or not, the traditional paradigm of print sales has turned on its head. This is no longer a formula for success: Become a technical expert in the products and services you are selling, then find organizations that can buy those prepackaged products and services.
Disagree? Think about your three or five highest-volume or highest-profit customers. Chances are, they make a disproportionately large contribution to your company's finances. I bet you would do handstands to please those accounts; you've probably already taken extraordinary steps to provide value to them. In the commoditized business environment in which we and our customers operate, it's the difficult, not routine, that creates perceived customer value.
The notion of competitive differentiation has undergone operative redefinition. Not long ago, differentiation was virtually synonymous with "mission statement," "strategy," and "direction," ideas once considered to be universally applicable to every customer in a company's account portfolio. Today, customers face the same differentiation challenge as print distributors and manufacturers. In their respective organizations, one size doesn't fit all, either. The bottom line: Recognize that it's rare to find any two customers with the same value, benefits and virtues in doing business with you. Don't try to fit every customer, or even most customers, into your box. Instead, first try to determine the needs, challenges and value systems of each customer and prospect.
Variable data output is usually assumed to be strictly a technological development. But salespeople need to consider themselves as human versions of variable data output devices. Forget those trying to peddle "secrets of success." Provide perceived customer value that's tailored, customized and personalized. Yes, this advice suggests that the selling challenge is growing increasingly difficult and complex. There's no way to halt this trend. It's inexorable. Accept it.
Contributing Editor Dick Gorelick is an award-winning authority on sales, marketing and business strategies for the printing industry. As president of the Graphic Arts Sales Foundation in West Chester, Pa., he travels extensively, consulting, writing and speaking on sales training.
